Fox's Shepard Smith claims that many of his fellow hosts are there strictly to entertain, and that he and they "serve different masters."

Courtesy of Time: 

Smith says he’s unbothered by the divergence between his reporting and Fox’s opinion slate. “We serve different masters. We work for different reporting chains, we have different rules. They don’t really have rules on the opinion side. They can say whatever they want. If it’s their opinion. I don’t really watch a lot of opinion programming. I’m busy.” He laughs, enigmatic punctuation that may indicate he’d been trying for a bon mot, or might just be a Mississippi-nice way of indicating he’s said what he’s going to say, bless my heart.

 .........

Unlike some portion of the audience that reflexively switches on Fox News, Smith is disengaged by politics. “I get it,” he says, “that some of our opinion programming is there strictly to be entertaining. I get that. I don’t work there. I wouldn’t work there. I don’t want to sit around and yell at each other and talk about your philosophy and my philosophy. That sounds horrible to me.” 

So to sum up, much of Fox News broadcasting is there simply to entertain, there are no real rules on the opinions side of things, and yet this is Donald Trump's go to source for news and policy advice.

Do you remember that 2012 study which found that people who watched Fox News were less informed than people who did not watch any news at all?

Well apparently that's not a bug.

It's a feature.

And now it features into how the president makes decisions which effect this country, and our world.

P.S. By the way since this story came out suddenly we are learning that Smith is going on a "previously planned vacation."

Thea last time I heard that phrase was when it was used to explain why Bill O'Reilly was not showing up to do his show after those sexual harassment allegations became public.

I hope that is not the case here as Shep is probably the last remaining actual journalist currently working at Fox News.

P.P.S. Here was Hannity's response.

While Shep is a friend with political views I do not share, and great at breaking news, he is clueless about what we do every day. Hannity breaks news daily-Warrant on a Trump assoc, the unmasking scandal, leaking intel, Fisa abuse, HRC lawbreaking, dossier and more REAL NEWS! 9p https://t.co/zJpnnyFTtP

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) March 16, 2018

I think Hannity is confusing "breaks news" with "pulls conspiracy theories out of my ass."

John Oliver being sued by "coal king" over segment which included threats of just such a lawsuit.

So you guys might remember that on Tuesday I posted a story about John Oliver's brilliant take on Donald Trump's inability to actually bring back coal jobs.

Part of that show also featured references to "Coal King" Bob Murray, a close friend of Donald Trump's, who threatened to sue Oliver if he included him in the segment.

Of course Oliver did just that, and even mocked a story told about Murray that suggests he once had a conversation with a talking squirrel.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome to Last Week To-nut, I'm Mr. Nutterbutter. Just time for a quick recap of the week..." pic.twitter.com/Gsveb3PUfb

— Last Week Tonight (@LastWeekTonight) June 19, 2017

Well for some reason Mr. Murray did indeed take offense, and now he is actually suing John Oliver and HBO: 

A Republican coal baron is suing John Oliver, HBO, Time Warner, and the writers for Oliver’s show over the most recent episode of Last Week Tonight. 

The suit, filed on June 21 in the circuit court of Marshall County, West Virginia, holds that Oliver and his team “executed a meticulously planned attempt to assassinate the character of and reputation of Mr. Robert E. Murray and his companies” by airing an episode that ripped into him. Murray runs the country’s largest privately owned coal company, Murray Energy Corporation. 

“They did this to a man who needs a lung transplant, a man who does not expect to live to see the end of this case,” reads the complaint, which also lists Murray’s companies as plaintiffs. 

The lawsuit isn’t a surprise to Oliver. In fact, the British comic said on the episode of his show that aired on June 18 that he expected it, noting that Murray has sued several other media outlets in the past (including, in May, the New York Times). In the episode, Oliver criticized Murray’s business practices, saying he doesn’t do enough to protect his miners’ safety. Oliver also noted that his team contacted Murray’s company before the episode aired, and that the company sent a cease-and-desist letter––the first time that had ever happened to his show. 

Parts of the complaint read like it had been written by President Donald Trump. One paragraph says Murray “has built a strong reputation as one of the as one of the staunchest defenders and most ardent champions of the United States coal industry and America itself.” The complaint also claims that “[d]efendants’ broadcasts have vigorously supported and advanced Mrs. Clinton’s agenda.”

God this is going to be good!

Personally I hope that the HBO lawyers put the giant squirrel on the stand to testify.

Speaking of lawyers HBO once hired 160 of them in preparation for the lawsuits they expected from Scientologists for broadcasting the documentary, "Going Clear."

Even the Scientologists were not crazy enough to go through with any lawsuits. But then again I don't think they talk to squirrels.

By the way if you have not seen the segment which inspired this hullabaloo you really owe it to yourself to do so. It is actually very good.  I anxiously await this upcoming episode, because you KNOW that much of it will focus on this lawsuit.

I would totally watch the hell out of this.

Courtesy of Joe Conason's Facebook page:

This is reportedly from a woman named Mary Davis, who posted it on her Facebook profile: 

"You may have heard that the Trump people are freaking out that the performers for the Inauguration will be limited to Kid Rock and Ted Nugent. You know what would be really smart? If there was a televised "freedom concert" with huge celebrities like: Beyoncé and Jay Z, Madonna, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, et al., that aired at the same time as the inauguration. 

"Imagine how mad 'Tiny Fingers' would be. He would totally lose all the ratings. 

"And what if all the proceeds of the concert went to: the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Lambda Legal, NAACP, CAIR, IRAP, SPLC, Environmental Defense Fund, Human Rights Campaign Fund, GLAD. 

"I would add that Alec Baldwin should MC the event playing Trump as he does on SNL."

Sounds like a plan to me.

Look there is NO way I am watching Trump's inauguration, so if there were something this entertaining to watch as an alternative I would be all over it.

And I bet just the idea that it would drive Trump out of his every loving mind would send the ratings through the roof.

You know you were thinking it.

It turns out that President Obama is a Game of Thrones fan and he has the same question that all of have, "Is he really dead?"

Now if you are a GOT fan you already know exactly who is being referred to in the title, but if you are not, and you plan to watch sometime in the future, then you seriously need to stop right now and not read any further.

Speaking of the President, guess who won an Emmy last night?

Okay technically it was Between Two Ferns that won the Emmy, but it was the President's performance that clearly won the day. (I mean let's face it Galifianakis is a hack.)

Here is the category:

Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program: Between Two Ferns, featuring President Barack Obama (FunnyOrDie.com)

In case you have not seen it.

You know I looked, and looked, and looked, and I simply could not find the nomination for the Sarah Palin Channel anywhere.

Maybe next year Sarah.

Just keep those eyes crossed. I'm sorry...fingers crossed.

Speaking of the Emmy's Sarah Silverman also won last night for her comedy show, and being an Atheist her acceptance speech was a little different: 

“We’re all just made of molecules, and we’re hurtling through space right now.”

Nice. And accurate.

The long wait is over.

I was really bummed last week that my favorite addictive television experience was taking a break until next fall.

However tonight my second favorite addictive television experience returns so I don't have to resort to anything extreme like starting a relationship, taking up stamp collecting, or cleaning my house to fill the gap.

And fortunately I have almost completely recovered from last season's "Red Wedding," an episode so shocking that it damn near traumatized many of its long time viewers.

Besides, I am sure that after last season's culling that most of my favorite characters are safe this time around. Right?

Yeah, I don't believe that either.

My heart is broken.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter:  

The ACN News Night team is coming back for a third and final season. 

HBO has officially renewed the Jeff Daniels drama for a final installment, which is expected to air this fall. The news comes nearly six months after HBO programming president Michael Lombardo noted publicly that he'd be "shocked" if the series didn't return. The holdup has been creator Aaron Sorkin, who needed to pen the Steve Jobs film script before turning his attention back to Newsroom.

While I am glad the show is coming back (I never really doubted that it would) I am devastated that this will be its final season.  

I have been fairly unabashed in proclaiming my love for this brilliant program and had hoped to follow it for many years to come, reporting on important stories from the past and, in many cases, reporting them the way others in the REAL media failed to report them.

Some have criticized it for its portrayal of women, and its focus on clumsy romantic banter, but none of that bothered me a great deal.

Especially when it offered up scenes like this.

No having this amazing show go off the air for good is going to be a serious loss to political and news junkies. I doubt we will soon see anything to replace it.

Television show "The Good Wife" brings up Sarah Palin's name, arguably not in a good way, and Right Wing "Liberal Media Bias" fighting blog rides to her defense.

I don't watch the Good Wife so I knew nothing about this episode. That is until somebody sent me this link.

I did a Google search and the only site that seems to have noticed it, much less been offended by it, is the one whose link I was sent earlier.

Here is their take, and I warn you ahead of time they are VERY defensive about the "liberal media" and how they portray sacred cows such as Palin.

Take a look for yourself:

Some more bashing of Sarah Palin on Sunday night’s episode of CBS’s The Good Wife, but the scene also managed to deliver an illustrative dramatization of liberals in a bubble displaying arrogant condescension toward those who dare stray from liberal orthodoxy – and how they learn to despise the Fox News Channel via Jon Stewart. (I'm sorry WHO'S in the bubble?)

A couple who are old college friends of liberal lawyer “Diane Lockhart” visit and meet her fiancé, Gary Cole as Sarah Palin supporter, gun owner and ballistics expert “Kurt McVeigh.” An appalled “Francesca” despairs: “But his views, Diane. All his views. He supports Sarah Palin!” 

She soon lectures, before getting cut off: “Issues matter. I know we’re all supposed to disagree and smile and go home and pretend it’s all some big tennis match, but people end up poorer, guns end up killing people. Global warming keeps destroying our-”

“Francesca,” and husband “Lyle,” played by left-wing comedian Robert Klein, meet “Lockhart” and “McVeigh” in a restaurant where they learn he owns a gun. “Francesca” exclaims: “So you don’t think Sandy Hook changed anything?” 

Later, at the apartment of “Lockhart,” played by Christine Baranski, “Francesca expresses her disgust with how her soon-to-be-husband likes Palin. “Lockhart,” a fan of Hillary Clinton’s, laughs as she acknowledges, “I fell in love with a Palin supporter.” 

To which “Lyle,” just after grabbing hold of Sarah Palin’s book, Going Rogue, on a bookshelf, scolds: “It’s not funny, Diane. Did you see her? She’s back on Fox.” 

“Lockhart” points out: “Oh, you don’t watch Fox.” “Lyle” counters, showing where liberals learn about FNC: “They show clips on Jon Stewart.” (Which really is the place that MOST intelligent Americans see clips from Fox News by the way.)

Apparently this is not the first time this show has received  backlash from the Right Wing and Palin-bots before for naming the pro-Palin character "McVeigh."

(Can't imagine why that would bother them.)

Anyhow I watched the clip and found nothing controversial about it at all. That is the same type of conversation that has been happening around the country ever since Snowdrift Snooki first burst onto the national stage.

Of course what do I know? After all I am pretty sure I am counted among the "liberal media bias" that this website is railing against.

And proudly so might I add.

Forbes Magazine lists the 100 most powerful women. No quitters allowed.

Courtesy of Forbes: 

Our annual snapshot of the 100 women with the most impact are top politicians and CEOs, activist billionaires and celebrities who matter. In roughly equal measure you’ll find next gen entrepreneurs and media mavens, technologists and leaders in philanthropy — all ranked by dollars, media momentum and impact. 

We’ve selected women that go beyond the traditional taxonomy of the power elite (political and economic might). These change-agents are actually shifting our very idea of clout and authority and, in the process, transforming the world in fresh and exhilarating ways.

On this list are politicians, entrepreneurs, business women, entertainers, and activists. Easily a list of the most impressive women on the planet.

Here are the first five:

  German Chancellor, Angela Merkel

President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff.

Melinda Gates,  Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Michelle Obama, well she needs no introduction.

Hillary Clinton, and neither does she.

The entire list can be found here.

Many prominent Democrats and Obama administration members are on this list such as Janet Napolitano, Nancy Pelosi, and Kathleen Sebelius, While the number of prominent conservatives is not so well represented. (Though Greta Van Sustern DOES show up as number 97.)

And as you may have gleaned from my title there is NO mention of a certain disgraced former politician and Fox News contributor, even though she once held a fairly prominent spot on that very same list.

Nice to see that the most powerful and influential women on this planet are far more visionary, and progressive than some of those listed in times past.

Is is also nice to see that Hillary and Michelle are listed in the top five, since I think that indicates good things for America moving forward.

Update on the Bristol Palin/Melissa Rivers reality show.

"Yeah I despise you too, but our girls need jobs"

Since there has been some speculation about the reality show that Bristol and Melissa are filming I thought I would give you all that I know so far.

I DO have somebody who is in the know about this and from what I have heard this is not a "wife swap" show, but instead a show about single mothers that, as far as I know, has not yet been given a title.

When I first started to hear about this I was, I have to admit, a little skeptical. But as time has gone on I have heard from a number of sources that Melissa and Bristol have been spotted together in Alaska and in LA.

In fact Melissa even tweeted that she was in Alaska back on May 4th.

I'm in Alaska! instagram.com/p/Y5SQmmDvcP/
— Melissa Rivers (@MelRivers) May 4, 2013

The fact that the attached picture is from the Best Western right by Lake Lucille, makes me think that the show is a pretty safe assumption at this time.

Now given the benefit of the doubt to my source, whose initial reports seem to have been confirmed, I have also been told that neither Bristol, nor her control freak mother, have any say over the final editing of the show.

Which is kind of interesting, and potentially very entertaining, considering what Joan Rivers has said about BOTH Palin and her incredibly untalented offspring: 

Joan and daughter Melissa Rivers appeared on an episode of “Joy Behar” that aired Wednesday evening to promote their new show, “Joan and Melissa” and explain that Joan had recently been canceled from an appearance on “Fox and Friends” for saying negative things about Fox contributor Palin. 

“I guess…my mom made a comment like hi, I don’t think Sarah Palin is very smart,” Melissa Rivers said. “Apparently we’re…uninvited to do ‘Fox and Friends.’” 

“Well everyone says that,” Behar said. “Even Newt Gingrich is practically saying that.” 

“[Palin's] a Nazi, I don’t know,” Rivers said. 

Rivers added that Bristol, who participated in “Dancing with the Stars” last season, is “stupid,” echoing her recent claim that Sarah is “stupid and a threat.” 

“I voted for her stupid daughter, I should have, who couldn’t dance and I felt sorry for her,” Rivers said. “I should have voted for David Hasselhoff.” 

Oh yeah, THIS particular reality show might just be worth watching. "Might" be I said.

Sarah Palin shoots down offer for new talk show? Or is this just another lame attempt to get people to talk about her again?

"I'm ready for my closeup Mr. DeMille."

Courtesy of News Max:  

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been offered a major syndicated TV talk show by reality show producer Mark Burnett but turned down the deal, Newsmax has learned. 

One of country’s sought after speakers on the political circuit, Palin, Burnett believed, could be turned into the next Oprah. He offered to produce a daytime TV talk show hosted by the conservative icon herself. 

But so far, Palin has said no — though the deal is not completely dead, say insiders. 

The sticking points have been over location and money, people familiar with the deal say. Burnett has insisted that Palin do the show from either New York or Los Angeles, which would require her to move for a significant portion of the year from her residence in Alaska where she lives with husband Todd. 

Palin has a distaste for cultural elites in the Big Apple and LA, one person familiar with the discussions said. 

Another top Hollywood studio executive tells Newsmax that Palin was ultimately willing to move to either city, but “she passed over money.” 

“I don’t think she closed the door,” he added. 

Asked to comment about the offer, Palin told Newsmax via email: 

"Todd and I have always loved working with Mark Burnett, and our family is always up for adventure, so never say never." Burnett’s office declined to comment on the matter. 

The idea of Sarah Palin interviewing people in  talk show format is fairly humorous since the last time she attempted something similar at Fox it was such an embarrassing failure that it resulted in the airing of only one show.

As for the excuse that Palin does not want to move to out of Alaska, that is total mooseshit, because as we know she has already effectively moved to Arizona.

If this is in fact a real thing, and there is at this moment not much reason to believe that it is (News max? Really?), then the obstacles to it going forward would be about money and how much work Plain would have to do on the show.

Remember this is a woman who has spent her whole life trying to get the most amount of money for the least amount of work. So if anything is stopping her from signing on to this deal, it is certainly that and NOT due to the location of the production.

The other thing to keep in mind is that there are persistent sightings of Bristol and Melissa Rivers that keep cropping up. So that makes me think that Palin may have other irons in the fire and that THIS might be a red herring that is being used as a bargaining chip for ANOTHER deal she is negotiating someplace else.

Remember with the Palins NOTHING is ever as it seems.

You see this? My daughter helped to make this! File this under, shameless plug of the day.

I have told you guys a few times that my daughter works in the entertainment biz.

She works on all types, from movies, to theatrical plays, to television programs. And yes that includes a few really bad reality shows.

The movie above is the movie that she spent two years working on, and is the movie that she is the MOST proud of being a part of.

Her job was to scout locations and help with the production materials.

In the movie they filmed actual locations in Alaska, New Zealand, and other parts of the world and then inserted CGI dinosaurs into them. As you can see it is almost seamless, and takes the technology developed during the making of Jurassic Park (Which a few of the crew members also worked on) and makes it that much better.

In fact some of this team had just come off the making of Avatar before coming up here to film, so as you can imagine my daughter was very excited to work with them.

Anyhow I am bursting with pride and just wanted to share that with all of you.

The movie will be out for Christmas and according to my daughter will be an amazing experience, and tons of fun for the entire family.

James Lipton of the Actors Studio interviews Tina Fey in character as Sarah Palin. Oh, you HAVE to see this!

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

James Lipton, the long-time host of Inside the Actors Studio, often asks his guests if he can interview them as one of their most famous characters. So when he invited Tina Fey onto the show last night, it was a not-so-surprising delight that he asked her if he could speak to Sarah Palin for a few moments. Fey happily obliged, showing off her sharp improv skills by answering questions as Palin and offering unique insight on some of the biggest issues facing the country. 

On guns: “I believe that if everybody had guns, then there would be fewer guns in the stores.” 

On same-sex marriage: “Well, the bible says it’s gross, and I don’t judge. A lot of the amazing, wonderful people I met in the audience at Dancing with the Stars seem to go that way. But, no, marriage is meant for people who wear different kinds of swimsuits.” 

On being a woman in a man’s world: “I don’t think of it as a man’s world or a woman’s world, unless again we’re talking about marriage. But I think of it as people being mavericks or not being mavericks.”

That was awesome!

I swear the ONLY time I can stomach Sarah Palin is when Tina Fey is channeling her.

The Bristol Palin stalker story gets even more bizarre.

"Everybody pay attention to me! No stop paying attention to me! Wait, where did everybody go?"

Courtesy of E News:

Sarah Palin's reality-star daughter has obtained a temporary restraining order against a Texas man who allegedly sent her an engagement ring in the mail along with a very unnerving wedding proposal. 

E! News confirms Palin sought the protection order saying she fears for her safety from 39-year-old Michael Cummings, who she alleges also sent her a note with the ring saying "I [heart] you" and showed up at her mom's house on her son Tripp's fourth birthday Dec. 27. But that's not all.

Palin's camp claims that she also received a second note with a knife inside that police are looking into, but no confirmation has been made. Her manager David Martin tells E! News that this is a "very serious situation and we're not taking this lightly." Martin tells us that Bristol is "very upset," but her main concern is keeping her family safe. 

Okay let me preface this by saying that I certainly want Bristol and Tripp, and even the rest of the batshit crazy Palin family, to be safe from a physical attack. As much as I dislike these people I certainly do not want any physical harm to befall them.

But having said that this story has now moved from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Not only is this information about a knife new evidence, in that TMZ certainly did not have it in their original report, but it also seems kind of strange to send a knife through the mail, with your return address attached, in order to threaten somebody. Somebody by the way that you are apparently attempting to convince to marry you.

Is THAT how they do it in Texas?

Personally I would like to know what was included with the knife. Was there a note or letter explaining what the knife was for? Let's face it if there had been a threatening letter we would be reading all about it, so that leads me to believe it was sent as a gift of some kind (Possibly a pocketknife for Tripp) and that the Palins are simply mentioning it to gin up more sympathy.

However of course it is virtually impossible to take this family seriously when it comes to threats. After all Sarah is the one who famously claimed that her daughters were threatened with gang rape while living in Juneau even though there is NO record anywhere of it being reported to the authorities. (And that includes her own security staff. I know, I talked to them.)

And then of course there is the case of the mysterious white powder that E also mentions in their article:

During both her stints on DWTS—two years ago and again this past fall—Palin had a scare when someone sent suspicious mail containing what turned out to be harmless white powder to CBS studios, prompting a federal investigation.

I mean, come on!

Okay like I said I want the family to be safe, and hope that nobody actually does anything harmful to any of them. However perhaps the next item the Palins should receive in the mail is a little book entitled, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."

P.S. Before I close this post I would also like to mention that it seems odd, if this were indeed an actual threat, that the two places that it turns up are TMZ and E News. I mean this is the daughter of the ex-Governor of Alaska, isn't THAT something that the regular press might be interested in covering? You know instead of over at a place where the top stories of the day involve who might be pregnant, who got fat, and who was recently seen on the beach topless.

Sometimes we need a break from politics. Here you go.

I found this incredibly moving video of a 2011 Adele concert where she asks the audience to sing a portion of "Someone Like You" back to her.

Her reaction to their heartfelt rendition of her song is very touching, and heartwarming, and enough to cause even the eyes of hardened political bloggers to moisten, just a little.

Remember my friends, though it may seem that there is a constant battle raging all around us, there is STILL so much love in the world. Make sure to share yours, and hopefully somebody is sharing theirs with you as well.

Namaste.

Now for something just a little different. An Emmy Award Show Open Thread.

Courtesy of the LA Times:

 "Game Change," "Hatfields & McCoys," "Hemingway & Gellhorn," Luther," "Sherlock" and "American Horror Story"were nominated Thursday morning for best miniseries or movie at this year's 64th Primetime Emmy Awards. 

Adapted from the 2010 book "Game Change," the HBO political drama follows former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's path during the 2008 presidential campaign. Julianne Moore stars as Palin with Ed Harris as Sen. John McCain and Woody Harrelson as campaign strategist Steve Schmidt. 

I usually only pay minimal attention to the Emmy's (I enjoy the Oscars somewhat more.) however my daughter is a huge fan and watches it pretty much every year with her friends.

However for some reason, and I simply have no idea why, THIS year's Emmy ceremony is of much more interest to me than those in the past.

No seriously I have a lot of favorites, from "American Horror Story" (one of the few made for TV horror series that is TRULY scary.), to "The Big Bang Theory" (That Sheldon Cooper character cracks me up every time!), to "Game of Thrones" (What's NOT to love?), that I am rooting for this year.

But of course the one I am the most interested in watching win a whole slew of Emmys (They are nominated for 12!) is "Game Change."

Especially since I am pretty sure that every win will be accompanied by the sound of Sarah Palin winging a can of moose stew against a refrigerator somewhere in...where is she now?

Oh that's right, Las Vegas. (Warning link goes to pro-Palin site.)

Yeah, you know I think I like the Julianne Moore version of Sarah Palin MUCH better than the real thing.

Though for that matter I also liked the Tina Fey version better.

What am I saying? I even like THIS one better than the real thing.

Well anyhow for all of you who will be watching right along with me, THIS is the place to root for your favorites, bitch about who SHOULD have won, and of course the place to gleefully mock Palin every time Game Change wins yet another trophy.

Jon Stewart VS Bill O'Reilly. The intellectual equivalent of watching a lion bat around a helpless kitten.

Courtesy of The Rumble 2012:  

Bill O'Reilly. Jon Stewart. 2 podiums. 1 Air-Conditioned Auditorium. "O'Reilly v Stewart 2012: The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium" will be streamed live, Saturday, October 6th at 8pm ET from Lisner Auditorium at The George Washington University. O'Reilly and Stewart will take an entertaining and comedic approach to today's pressing political issues in an attempt to find the best direction for America. "The Rumble 2012" will surely be a must-see event! 

I actually have mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand I always love watching Jon Stewart hand Bill O'Reilly his ass. On the other hand I don't like the idea of Jon giving this idiot credibility by making this seem like an actual debate between two equals.

Bill O'Reilly is an arrogant asshole with the journalist credibility of a tree stump. Jon Stewart is a brilliant student of politics and the human condition, who is able to make current events both interesting and entertaining.

I have little doubt I will watch, but part of me worries that Jon will decide to be "civil" and take it easy on this asshole.  As he has sometimes done in the past.

To be honest I would much rather see how O'Reilly did in a similar situation while sitting across from Stephen Colbert, who I know would dismantle O'Reilly completely without even breaking character. Now THAT would be well worth the price of admission!

I am not sure if this is an indictment of the Republicans, or of Americans in general?

Courtesy of Hollywood Reporter:

The fourth episode of Honey Boo Boo pulled in just shy of 3 million viewers at 10 p.m., according to Nielsen overnight ratings, growing 30 percent from last week's 2.3 million haul. In the demo, Honey Boo Boo did even better. 

The half-hour series' showing among adults 18-49 bested all other cable outings for the night -- including coverage of the Republican National Convention -- to pull a 1.3 rating.

Okay now I will admit that for the most part the GOP convention was a giant snoozefest, with the notable exception of Clint Eastwood's losing argument with  an empty chair. But for something like this televised child abuse and neglect to have beaten them in the ratings says horrible things about our country.

I mean it is NOT like coverage of the convention lost in the ratings war against a well written quality television show, it lost against something that just about ANYBODY living in a trailer park in Alabama can watch just by looking out their window.

So like I said, either the Republican party is so uninteresting that it can't attract viewers away from watching a snot nosed little brat verbally abuse her family, or the IQ of the average American viewer is just about equivalent to the IQ of a bowl of Tapioca pudding.

Either way, it ain't good news.

Nine, count'em nine, Nobel Prize winners ask that the reality show which features Todd Palin be pulled off the air. This day just keeps getting better and better.

Desmond Tutu, and eight more Nobel Prize winner, demand that NBC drop "Stars Earn Stripes."

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Nine Nobel Peace prize winners said Monday that NBC must “immediately” drop a planned “reality” show called “Stars Earn Stripes,” where former four-star general and one-time Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark sends celebrities on military-style training “missions” to entertain viewers. 

Signers of an open letter to the network include Nobelists Desmond Tutu, Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Jose Ramos-Horta, Jody Williams, Mairead Maguire, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Rigoberta Menchu and Betty Williams. 

Here is their letter in full: